The Republican journal., 1887-08-18
Found Drowned In the seb..tIeook.

On Thursday morning last Coroner J. F. Wilson
received Il letter from Mr.. Geo. +. Berry, select
man of Durham, saying the dead body of man
had been found in the Sebasticook river in Burn.
ham, and that his services were needed. Mr.. vii.
son, accompanied by Journal representative, i'm
mediately left OH the early train for Burnham. On
arriving they were taken in a team by Mr.. Berry
and driven five miles to Mr.. Isaac DuntOns, near
the ccl-weir bridge sO-called. The body was in
the river half mile above, and three miles below
Pittsiield village. Joseph w. Mills, Daniel Noble
and party of Ten were rowing down the Sebasti-
cook on Wednesday afternoon and discovered the
body near the Burnham side of the river and
secured it with a rope which made fast to a
tree on the bank. Here it remained until the
coroner arrived. Quite large crowd had gathered
and although it was raining hard at the time three
boats loaded with people were rOwed up to where
the body laid. The body that of a man of
medium height, about 4j years of age sandy com
pieNion, sandy moustache, and sandy hair. The
body was entirely NUDE the clothing being rolled
up and tied about the neck. Evidently the man
mad attempted to swim the river. One eye was
gone and the body was in bad condition. There
was truss about the loins The following jury was
empancled: Isaac Dunton, George f. Berry,
James H. Emery William ii. knowlton, Isaac II.
Dunton and William Written. After viewing the
body the jury returned to the house of Mr. Dunton
where the inquest was held. The body was idcnti-
fed as that of 4 person seen at Pittsfcld on the
saturday before. Mr.. Arthur Falmam of Pittsfielil
said he saw the man Saturday at Pittsfield He
was driving an old white horse with Il broken
down wagon and dilapidated harness. Both shafts
were broken and tied up with ropes. The man
wore ladys gossamer outside his coat, and acted
as though crazy He beat the horse so unmcrciful-
ly that the animal was taken from him and carried
to the stable of Mr.. Edward Barber, where it re
manned at last accounts. The wagon contained
two scythes and a meal bag upon which was print
ell the name of George Pishon. The man said he
was from Sebec and that he was going to that
place After the horse was taken from him the
nan was last seen walking towards Burnham. A
warrant was taken out against the man for beat
ing the horse, but he never knew the fact Mr..
Dunton says that between five and six o'clock
the eel-weirand disappear up stream The bridge
near Mr. Dunton's house washed away last spring
and has not yet been replaced. The man no doubt
went up river and attempted to swim across. 1t
must have been the same person seen at Pittsfield
W. ms 'AosiiihS WIS ticu up Ill EOSssIEcT
The clothing consisted of /; checked shirt, dark
pants and coat, well worn, an old pair of shoes
ana straw hat In his pockets We're found eleven
cents III money, a match safe, two scythc wrenches
and two nails. On finger was a plain gold
ring, and on the small finger of the other hand an
iron tcrule from cane. There were no marks on
the body and nothing by which he could be identi-
fed The jury returned Il verdict that the body
was a person to them unknown and that he came
to his death by mischance sometime between Satur-
day Aug. 6 and Wednesday August 10th. The
coroner ordered the remains buried, which was
done by the selectmen.
Our BHlnham correspondent, writing Tuesday
says: a brother of the unfortunate man who was
found drowned in the sebastcook River near the
Ecl-weir bridge was here and claims the body
The mans name was Thomas O'Brien, and he
lived in Sebec, although he had no legal settle
ment there. The brother says that the deceased
was insane and that the required papers were
nearly completed to commit him to the Insane
Hospital at Augusta when he gave them the Slip
MI oBrien says that when his brother left home
he had Il very good team but he had traded into
the apology for a team which he had when it was
taken from him at Pittsfeld.